France Moves to Allow Assisted Dying. What Other Countries Have Legalized It?

Here are the countries where euthanasia, assisted suicide, or both are currently legal.  

Though assisted dying is still not permitted in most of the U.S., thirteen states and Washington, D.C., have legalized it in recent years.

Oregon was the first state to allow the practice with its landmark Death With Dignity Act, which was approved by voters in 1994 and went into effect three years later, legally authorizing physicians to prescribe lethal medication to terminally ill adults who are mentally competent and have a live expectancy of six months or less. 

Lawmakers in a number of other states have since looked to Oregon’s law as a blueprint, and a dozen more have opted to legalize assisted dying in some form in the ensuing decades. 

Those states include Washington, Montana, Vermont, California, Colorado, Hawaii, New Jersey, Maine, New Mexico, Delaware, Illinois, and New York, as well as Washington, D.C. New York’s law does not take effect until August 5 of this year, while Illinois’ becomes operational on Sept. 12.